Lord knows how much i enjoy eating Ekpang Nkukwo. You see there is something about food that is made with a lot of love and attention to detail.

As a foodie, the first time i learnt of Ekpang Nkukwo i was intent on trying it out. Growing up i couldn’t stand any meal made with water yam. I never even tried cocoyam.

Ekpang Nkukwo is a beautiful marriage of water yam and cocoyam. It’s a pottage meal native to the Efik and Ibibio people of Nigeria and some parts of Cameroon.

Its similar to Ifokore/Ikokore of the Ijebu people which is made with only wateryam and without vegetables.

Recipe

Ingredients

3 slices of Wateryam (after this is grated it should come to 1 cup of paste)
3 medium sized Cocoyam (after this is grated, it should come to 2 cups of paste)
6 Cocoyam leaves (Ugu leaves can be used instead)
4 Efinrin leaves shredded. (Uziza leaves can be used instead)
1 cup properly washed unshelled periwinkles
Assorted Meats (beef, tripe, ponmo) – (about 200g)
Assorted Seafood (Smoked fish, stock fish, fresh prawns, crabs)
1 cooking spoon of palm oil
1 table spoon of ground cayenne pepper
2 cups of rich beef stock
2 cups water
2 bouillon cubes
Salt to taste
1 tbsp ground crayfish

I’m growing cocoyam in my garden just because of Ekpang Nkukwo. I have never been able to buy cocoyam leaves in the market, so i always have to end up bush diving. I stubbornly insist on cooking Ekpang with only cocoyam leaves.

Procedure

Wash the cocoyam leaves and cut them into segments.
Using the grater, choose the smallest perforation to grate the yams to a paste. To avoid nicking off your fingers while grating, you can use the grating disc of your food processor. The one with the smallest holes.
Mix the cocoyam and water yam paste together, add about 1/2 a cup of water to the mix to help loosen it up.
Using spoon, scoop the paste into the cut up leaves, and wrap
Line the bottom of the pot with some palm oil and periwinkle. I usually add my stock fish to the bottom of the pot too.
Place the rolled paste on top of the cocoyam on top of the periwinkle base you created.

Turn on the heat. You don’t want to cook Ekpang Nkukwo on high heat. So set the heat to between medium and low.

Add your crayfish , your cayenne pepper, beef stock, water, palm oil, salt and seasoning. You can also add the pre-cooked assorted meats, and smoked fish.
I usually check on my pot at 10 minutes intervals and shake the pot using it’s handles to lift it, so as prevent it from burning. I don’t use a ladle so as not upset the rolls.
I also leave adding my fresh seafood to the last 5 mins of cooking so as not over cook them.
Taste while cooking to know if you need to adjust the taste.
Add the shredded efinrin leaves or uziza leaves. Add fresh seafood, shake the pot.
Take it off the heat 5 mins after adding the fresh seafood. Let it rest. Stir and serve.